God and Turtles
by Stitchpunk
Summary: In which Ray realizes he loves Benny and Benny knew all along.


_Oh god, oh god, oh god, oh god..._

This was what was running through Ray's mind as he paced the floor of his apartment, elbows out from his head as he held the back of his hair with his fingers.

"Oh god..." he mumbled. "Oh god..."

He stopped walking and squeezed his eyes shut, looking down at the floor.

"Oh god..."

He walked over to the kitchen counter and picked up the phone.

"Fraser?" he asked immediately when he heard the telltale click of the answering.

"Yes, Ray?" came the voice of the man in question.

Ray gasped slightly, but closed his eyes and pushed on.

"I need to you to come here, right. now," Ray said firmly but quietly.

"Come where?" Benton asked. "Ray, are you all right?"

"Perfect," Ray replied. "Just get to my place. Quick like a bunny, okay?"

"Quick like the fastest bunny around, Ray," Benton replied. The phone clacked off and Ray flipped his cell closed and used his palm to push the antenna back in. He tapped it a few times before sighing and setting it down.

He needed a distraction.

"Hey, Turtle," he said casually but gruffly. "Come out and play." He reached into the aquarium and lifted the half-log off the turtle, picking him up. The turtle's head poked out of its shell and he pet it a bit.

"You want a mealworm?" he asked the animal, widening his eyes and dipping his chin. The turtle bobbed his head and he bobbed his back. "Right, then. Come on."

He went to the fridge and set the turtle down on the counter, opening the door and picking out a small Chinese food carton. He popped the top and picked out a nice fat one. He shook it into his palm and closed up the box, replacing it in the refrigerator.

"Here ya go, Turtle..." he said as he picked the turtle up again, holding his hand in front of his face. The mealworm was scooped up and he watched as the turtle chomped it a few times before swallowing.

"There. Was it tasty?" he asked. Again, the turtle bobbed his head. He nodded back and walked over to the living room floor, getting down on his knees and setting the turtle down on the carpet.

Just then, the door burst open and he remembered what he was distracting himself from.

"Fraser!" he exclaimed and shot up off the floor. He darted over to the man and grasped the sides of his shoulders.

"Ray! What's wrong? You sounded upset on the phone," Benton said, concerned about the man's wellbeing.

"Something _is_ wrong, Fraser. Terribly, horribly, horrendously wrong," Ray said seriously, a bit panicked.

"Well, what is it?" Benton inquired.

"I love you," Ray got out quickly. "I don't know when and I don't know why, but I just realized I love you, and not in a we're-partners-I'd-die-for-you I love you kinda way. I mean-"

Benton could see where this was going and cut the man off before he had a heart attack, taking Ray's cheeks in his hands and pulling him forward, crushing their lips together. He waited until the hands grabbing him untensed and fell to his hips, and Ray melted against him. He released him after the long moment and stared into his eyes, making sure Ray was alright.

"Better?" he asked.

Ray nodded dumbly.

"Better..." he mumbled. Of course, then he started to panic again. "You kissed me... You _kissed_ me! Oh _god_!" He let go of the man's hips and mindlessly tore away from his hands, pacing the floor again and holding the sides of his head above his ears.

"Ray. Ray. Ray. Ray. Ray," Benton repeated until Ray stopped. He watched the blonde man come to a halt and then kneel over.

"Turtle..." Ray said softly before walking over two steps and stooping to pick the turtle scooting towards him up. "Sorry I left you there..." he mumbled as he held the animal to his chest and pet his shell. He walked over and set the turtle in his tank, replacing the log over him. The turtle walked out and came to the side of the cage, watching as he walked back over to Benton.

"Listen, Ray-" Benton began.

"No, you listen... Listen, I'm sorry," Ray apologized.

"For what?" Benton asked.

"Fer springin' this on you... Fer...lovin' you..." Ray said and squeezed his eyes shut again, holding his temple with his fingertips.

"Ray, there's nothing to be _sorry_ about..." Benton replied. "It's a simple human reaction to-"

"No! Don't you say that! Don't you say this is all about interaction or proximity, or whatever the hell else yer about ta say, because that's _not_ it! I say '_I love you_' and I mean it!" Ray said, stopping him in his tracks. "And I'm pretty sure this was a love at first sight thing."

"...Well, it _does_ happen, Ray. To me, for example," Benton replied reasonably.

"Who'd _you_ like?" Ray asked hopelessly. "It was Frannie, wasn't it."

"No, Ray. It wasn't Frannie," Benton said and shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "I mean, I love you, too."

"Wha-? Really?" Ray asked, his jaw hanging open. Benton walked over and shut it for him.

"Yes. The moment I saw you, I knew that-well, I knew you weren't Ray Vecchio-but I also knew I wanted to be with you forever." He smiled. "And that's what happened."

"...Oh," Ray said at a loss for words. He frowned for a moment. "Really?" he asked.

"Really. And then you proved your love for me by stepping in front of that gun. So, you see..." Benton said, shifting his weight again as he looked to the corner of the floor and let go of Ray's jaw. "-it comes as no surprise to me that you're telling me this."

"...Oh," Ray nodded, his jaw slack again, but only in the way that showed he was distracted.

"And even though you spent that entire day lying to me, I somehow continued to love you. And then despite your _many_ faults, I still managed to endure loving you. And _then_, _despite_ the fact that you were utterly oblivious to my advances, I _still_ loved you," Benton stressed, his annoyance showing through. "Until this moment, in which I love you, and will continue to do so, I believe, for the rest of my life."

"...Oh," Ray said and nodded dazedly.

"That's it? That's all you have to say? Is, '_oh_'?" Benton asked incredulously.

"...I love you," Ray replied belatedly. "Uhm..." He snapped his mouth shut. "...You want a drink or something?"

"...No, Ray, I do not '_want a drink_'," Benton sighed. "I _want_ a _kiss_."

"...Oh," Ray said. He walked forward and tentatively leaned in, pausing about halfway there. Benton decided this was the best he was going to get and closed the space between them.


End file.
